title: Post-bone marrow transplant patient management.
abstract: Increasingly, bone marrow transplant (BMT) is the treatment of choice for certain hematologic diseases. BMT is, however, a risky procedure with many potentially serious complications. Some complications are the result of the conditioning regimen, a stage of transplantation that includes large doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Conditioning-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia often result in infection, bleeding, and mucositis. Veno-occlusive disease (VOD), a chemotherapy-induced hepatotoxicity, can cause a mild to severe form of liver disease. Other complications are directly attributable to the engrafted new marrow. Graft-versus-host disease, a rejection process initiated by immunocompetent donor T lymphocytes, is a complication frequently observed in allogeneic BMT. Approximately 14-28 days after the day of transplant, signs of engraftment begin to appear. When specific discharge criteria are met, the BMT patient is discharged from the hospital. Specific follow-up medical care is ongoing for about one year after BMT.
authors.affiliation: Jean Marie Colbert Bone Marrow Transplant Center, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Poliquin
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000451:nursing; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000150:complications; D006504:Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D009732:Nursing Care; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000150:complications